2010 Press Releases

Equality California-sponsored resolution urges Congress and the President to count lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in US Census

Sacramento -- Today the California State Senate passed a joint resolution urging the federal government to include questions regarding sexual orientation and gender identity in the 2020 Census questionnaire, with a 22-9 bipartisan vote. Introduced by Senator Kehoe (D-San Diego) and sponsored by Equality California, the resolution, SJR 28, calls on the US Congress and the President to revise the Census survey and to collect data identifying LGBT people and their families living in the US.

“We must take the necessary steps today to ensure that the 2020 Census accurately counts all segments of our nation’s diverse population,” said Geoff Kors, executive director of Equality California. “Our local, state, and federal governments will finally be able to identify and assess the needs of our community by collecting data on the LGBT community.

The United States Census does not currently include questions regarding sexual orientation and gender identity. Data collected by the Census, as mandated by the US Constitution, is used to determine the number of seats allocated in the House of Representatives as well as the dissemination of federal funding for hospitals, job training centers, schools, public works projects and emergency services."

"LGBT families and households are disproportionately under served and more likely to live in poverty," said Senator Kehoe. "We call on the US Congress and the President to ensure that every person living in the US is counted and has access to culturally competent health and human services."

Equality California (EQCA) is the largest statewide lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender-rights advocacy organization in California. Over the past decade, Equality California has strategically moved California from a state with extremely limited legal protections for LGBT individuals to a state with some of the most comprehensive civil rights protections in the nation. Equality California has passed over 60 pieces of legislation and continues to advance equality through legislative advocacy, electoral work, public education and community empowerment. www.eqca.org